Plastic core for paper rolls

ABSTRACT

A PLASTIC CORE FOR ROLLS OF PAPER HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR FLAT BASE PORTION WITH A CIRCULAR HOLE CENTRALLY LOCATED THEREIN AND FURTHER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF UPSTANDING WALLS ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE BASE MEMBER, ONE WALL IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE CENTRALLY LOCATED HOLE AND ANOTHER OF THE WALLS BEING SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF THE BASE MEMBER. THE CORE FURTHER INCLUDES A PLURALITY OF WEBS HAVING A TAPERED CONFIGURATION EXTENDING BETWEEN THE WALLS AND PROTRUDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND A PLURALITY OF REINFORCING MEMBERS INTEGRALLY MOLDED WITH AND EXTENDING FROM THE OUTER SIDES OF THE OUTERMOST WALL AND THE BASE MEMBER, EXTENDING ONLY AS FAR AS THE OUTER CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID BASE MEMBER.

Oct. 26, 1971 D. B. BATES PLASTIC GORE FOR PAPER ROLLS Filed April 30,1970 FIG 3 FIG, 2

INVENTOR. DANA B. BATES ATTORNE YS United States Patent 3,615,063PLASTIC CORE FOR PAPER ROLLS Dana B. Bates, Kirkland, Wash., assignor toSimpson Timber Company, Seattle, Wash. Filed Apr. 30, 1970, Ser. No.33,270 Int. Cl. B65h 75/18 US. Cl. 242-6845 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A plastic core for rolls of paper having a generally circularflat base portion with a circular hole centrally located therein andfurther including a plurality of upstanding walls on the same side ofthe base member, one wall immediately adjacent the centrally locatedhole and another of the walls being slightly spaced from the outerperiphery of the base member. The core further includes a plurality ofwebs having a tapered configuration extending between the walls andprotruding upwardly therefrom and a plurality of reinforcing membersintegrally molded with and extending from the outer sides of theoutermost Wall and the base member, extending only as far as the outercircumference of said base member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a new andimproved core member for paper spools, the core being adapted toaccommodate rolls not having an integral reinforcing core and designedto be self-securing once placed within the roll of paper.

In the past, the plug or core member which has been used in paper rolls,not having integral core members, has generally comprised of a woodenplug which is wedged into the end of the paper roll, the plug having acentrally located hole therein for mounting upon a spindle. Thedisadvantage of the wooden plug has been firstly, the expense involvedin the plug itself and secondly, the fact that the wedging within thepaper roll was not always secure enough to provide a core member whichwould not accidentally dislodge. Dislodgement often was the result ofthe slight variation in the interior diameter of the paper roll or thevariation in sizes of the paper plug depending upon the moisture contentand the like.

With the above noted problems in mind, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide a one-piece molded plastic core member for use inpaper rolls wherein the size of the core member is substantiallyconstant, and further has sufficient strength and integral wedgingmembers to provide a relatively permanent core member once inserted inposition.

In accordance with this object and as a feature of the presentinvention, there is a one-piece molded plastic core member having as anintegral part thereof, wedging members which provide sufficientfrictional contact with the interior of the paper core to prevent theaccidental dislodgement of the core member.

Further, in accordance with the above noted object and as a feature ofthe present invention, there is provided a plastic core member havingreinforcing web members which serve a secondary function of providing analigning as well as wedging means when the core is being inserted intothe paper roll.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of theplastic paper core member;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the core member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the core member of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional View of the core member along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;and

Patented Oct. 26, 1971 FIG. 5 is an enlarged elevational view of thecore membger showing the specific shape imparted to the web memers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, it can be seen that the plastic core membergenerally denoted as 2 comprises a base portion 4 of generally flatcircular configuration having a centrally located hole 6, an uppersurface 8 and a lower surface 10. Extending from the upper surface 8 ofthe base member 4 is a first wall 12 integral with the base member andimmediately adjacent the centrally located hole 6. The interior portionof the cylindrical wall 12 has a plurality of longitudinal outwardlyextending ribs 14 for purposes later to be described.

Adjacent to the outer circumference of the base 4 is a second upstandingcylindrical wall 16. Since the upwardly extending wall 16 is slightlyspaced from the outer circumference of the base 4, there, exists aflange 18 extending outwardly from the Wall 16. Integrally molded withthe paper plug member are a plurality of reinforcing elements 20 whichextend perpendicularly upwardly from the flange 18, forming a brokencylindrical surface and then taper inwardly to terminate at the outersurface of the wall 16.

Extending between the walls 12 and 16 are a plurality of web members 22which extend from the base member 4 linking the two walls 12 and 16. Thewebs 22 extend upwardly beyond said walls in a rounded V-shapedconfiguration forming a means for guiding the plug into the interiorhole of the paper roll.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the webmembers 22 while having a generally V-shaped configuration, likewisetaper upwardly from the base portion in the perpendicular directionwherein the thickest portion is at the base denoted by A in the figureand the thinnest portion is denoted by B and is at the uppermost end ofthe web 22.

Inwardly extending ridges 14 within the interior of the wall 12 providea slightly frictional contact with the spindle introducing a slight dragto prevent an absolutely free run. Further, since the webs taperupwardly in both dimensions, they serve as a guide for the core duringinsertion into the paper roll as noted above and also pro vide a wedgingaction. The upper portion of the web is the thinnest and is the first tocontact the paper roll forming a path which will of necessity become ofgreater width as the core is forced into the paper roll. The core isinserted until it is flush with the end of the paper roll and the widestpart of the web denoted as A will be the portion which is frictionallycontacting the interior of the paper roll. It is to be noted that theplurality of reinforcing elements 20 likewise taper upwardly such thatwhen the core is being forced into the interior of the paper roll, theylikewise will be wedged within the roll and provide frictional contact.The large area of frictional contact as Well as the wedging actionassures relative permanency of the core within the paper roll as well asproviding the necessary strength for rigidly holding the roll inposition once mounted upon the spindle.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A molded plastic plug for use in the core of a roll of papercomprising;

a generally circular flat base member having a hole centrally locatedtherein,

spaced cylindrical walls extending from the same surface of the basemember, one of said walls located immediately adjacent to the hole andanother of said 3 4 walls adjacent to but slightly spaced from the outerand outermost walls and extending upwardly from the circumference ofsaid base member, and base. 7 a plurality of radial upwardly extendingwebs span- 5. A plug as in claim 1 wherein the webs are thinner ning thearea between the cylindrical walls, extending at their uppermost portionthan at the base portion and beyond the top of said walls and radiallyoutwardly 5 extend to the outer circumference of the base member. to theouter circumference of said base member,

whereby the Webs provide guidance when inserting the References Citedplug as well as serving as reinforcing elements for UNITED STATESPATENTS v t d the innermost wall which 1s adapted to be moun e 1,222,9434/1917 G t 24 a spmdle' 1889139 11/1932 Bebie 242 68 6 2 1 1 f 1 1- A pug as 1n c aim 1 and urther including a p ura 3,260,362 7/1966 S e 24268'6 X ity of inwardly extending ridges on the interior of the innermostcylindrical wall.

3. A plug as in claim 1 and further including a plural- STANLEYGILBREATH Pnmary Examiner ity of reinforcing elements exterior to andintegral said 15 G. A. WALTERS, Assistant Examiner outermost wall andterminating at the outer circumference of and integral with the basemember. US. Cl. X.R.

4. A plug as in claim 1 wherein the webs are of gen- 20659 R erally aninverted V-shape integral with the innermost

